


A Bit of a Warzone

by kiwi_stan



Category: Nancy Drew (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28277325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwi_stan/pseuds/kiwi_stan
Summary: In "The Mark of the Poisoner's Pearl" Ace told Nancy that his house was a bit of a warzone and I wanted to elaborate on that. Then I added some Ace and Nancy hints, just because
Relationships: Ace/Nancy Drew
Comments: 9
Kudos: 67





	A Bit of a Warzone

Ace knew it was not going to be a good day when he walked down to breakfast and spotted a brochure from the local community college at his place at the table. 

Ace looked up as his father entered the dining room. Thom gestured to the brochure. “Did you read it?” He signed. 

Ace shook his head, reminding himself of his promise. “I don’t think this is the school for me.” 

“I have more.” Thom signed back. Ace was about to sign in protest, but his father held up a finger in the universal “wait” gesture and left the room. 

Ace’s mom came in from the kitchen. “Breakfast is ready.” She announced happily. She was dressed for work, in a colorful patterned sweater and her cat’s eye glasses. Her expression turned to a frown when she noticed the paper in Ace’s hands. “What’s that, sweetie?” She asked. 

Ace felt the familiar nerves building. “Nothing, Mom,” He said, attempting to shove the brochure in his hoodie pocket before she could examine it further. 

She was too quick for him and snatched it out of his hand. “Oh.” She said. Ace had heard the disappointed tone enough to pick up on it from the one-syllable word. 

Thom returned, a handful of papers in hand. Ace wondered how his father had gotten all of these and how long he’d been holding onto them. 

He looked up to see his father watching him expectantly. “You should apply somewhere. I can help you.” 

“Dad, I don’t want to go to college right now.” Ace signed. 

“If he doesn’t want to apply, he doesn’t have to.” Ace’s mother jumped in. 

“He needs to do something.” 

“He works at the restaurant.” 

“And I’m very happy there.” Ace added, not happy that his parents were about to start arguing about him like he wasn’t even there. “Dad, I don’t know if college is for me at all.” Ace had lost track of how many times he’d said it over the past two years. It had been awhile since Thom had broached the subject, though. They’d been getting along better since they had worked on the poisoning cases together, and Ace had hoped that the argument was finally over. Apparently not. 

“You want to wash dishes your whole life?” His father’s hand motions were becoming angry now. 

“That’s not a valuable job?” Ace signed back. In his time working at the Claw, Ace had become very protective of service workers. The fastest way to make him angry was to tip less than 20%. 

“You have so much,” Ace braced himself for his least favorite sign of them all. “Potential.” Thom tried a new approach. “You’re so good with computers. You wouldn’t like to do something with that?” 

Ace knew his father was trying to be helpful, suggesting a tolerable and easy (for him) career path. But he’d just struck a nerve, reminding Ace of why going to college was pointless, why no real employer would ever hire him: the felony hacking charge that he was worried a background check would bring up despite his deal with McGinnis. “It’s just a hobby.” Ace signed weakly. 

“Don’t push him.” Ace’s mom jumped in to defend him. 

“Do you want him living here his whole life?” 

“If that’s what he needs, yes.” 

“You baby him too much. He’s twenty-one.” 

Certain that the argument was going to get worse, Ace stood up and walked out of the room. Ace knew other kids hated to hear their parents fighting and yelling. Until two years ago, when the gap year took between high school and college (sanctioned by his parents) had turned into a longer gap and the fighting about Ace’s education started, he hadn’t realized that angry signing could be just as bad. 

“Ace!” He heard his father call. Ace hesitated in the front hallway, where he was pulling his coat on. Thom rarely spoke, and Ace knew his father must be pretty worked up to be yelling. For a second he considered going back. Then he thought about sitting through more angry signing, decided he would rather walk across a field of Legos barefoot, and walked out the front door instead. It was only once he was in Florence and backing out of the driveway that he realized he didn’t have anywhere to go. 

He ended up at the Claw, even though it was his day off. “Couldn’t stay away?” Nick asked from his spot at the host station

George passed by on her way to an occupied table, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Ace. “Ace, you can’t just show up when you’re not on the schedule and hope to get extra hours. You should know that.” 

“I’m here as a customer.” He gestured to the door, emphasizing that he’d come in the front door not the employee entrance. “I...wanted breakfast.” For a split second, he considered saying that he’d had a fight with his parents, but he pushed the thought aside as quickly as it came. His friends all had problems at home-George had her alcoholic, clairvoyant mother, Nancy had her dad triangle, Nick didn’t have any family to speak of, and Bess had….whatever was going on with the Marvins-his fights with his parents about school seemed way too normal to complain about. Plus, then he would open up the line of questioning about why he was so dead-set against college. The one offhand comment he’d made to Nancy about his house being a warzone had seemed like revealing too much. No, it was best just not to talk about it. 

George rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Come sit by this other table. I’m the only one here and it’ll be easier for me.” 

“Do you really need to see a menu?” George asked a few minutes later when she appeared at Ace’s table. 

He shook his head and placed his order. “Where are Bess and Nancy?” He asked. 

“Bess is in later for the lunch rush. Nancy is supposed to be here but she called about some ‘case emergency’ and said she wasn’t sure what time she would get here.” George rolled her eyes again before walking away. 

Ace lingered as long as he could over his coffee and eggs, chatting with Nick when he wasn’t busy, but George eventually kicked him out just before the lunch rush started. He checked his phone as he walked out to his car, noticed several missed texts from his mom. 

_Ace, sweetie, I’m sorry about this morning._

_Your dad just wants what he thinks is best._

_He just doesn’t know how to express it._

Another, an hour later. 

_Do you want to meet me at the library and we can have lunch together?_

Ace recognized his mother’s form of apology. He checked the time, determined that if he took the long way to the library he would get there at an acceptable time for his mom to take her lunch break, and got in Florence again. 

Ace had been hoping that his mom would be right there at the front desk when he entered the library, but unfortunately for him Dominique was there instead. She glowered at him as he approached the desk. 

“Where’s my mom?” Ace asked her, skipping the greeting. 

“At the reference desk. Last I saw, she was helping your girlfriend.” 

“Girlfriend?” 

“The redhead you came in with that one time? I helped you with some simple computer stuff?” 

Ace ignored the dig as his cheeks heated up at the memory of reading the love letters with Nancy. “She’s not my girlfriend.” 

Dominique shrugged. “You two were sitting pretty close together.” 

“We’re just friends.” Ace repeated. Not wanting to let Dominique annoy him further, Ace turned and headed for the reference desk. 

As Dominique had said, Nancy was at the reference desk, looking over a book that his mom was holding. They were talking quietly enough that Ace could only make out what they were saying once he got closer. 

“-quite taken with you.” His mom said. 

Nancy smiled. “I like him a lot too.” Then she looked up, noticed Ace, and they both went quiet. 

Ace felt his heart rate quicken. Had they been talking about him? 

“Hi, sweetie!” His mom said quickly. Ace blushed at the nickname. “Just let me finish helping Nancy and I can take a break.” She turned to Nancy. “Would you like to join us for lunch, dear?” Ace’s mom was the type to use pet names for almost everyone, but dear was her favorite, for people she really liked. 

Nancy smiled and shook her head. “I’ll be busy.” She held up the book. 

“Is this for a case?” Ace asked. 

Nancy nodded. “I’m helping my dad with something.” She checked her watch. “I should be getting back to him. Thank you so much for your help Mrs…” She let the sentence dangle. 

Ace didn’t miss her attempt to learn his last name. “You can call me Laura, dear. It was my pleasure.” She patted Nancy’s hand. Nancy gave Ace a final smile before heading for the checkout desk. 

“My purse is in my office. Just let me grab it and we can head out. Do you want to go to that cafe out by the highway?” 

Ace nodded, following his mother into her office. She had tons of family pictures on her desk, of Ace at all different ages. One photo in particular caught his eye, from his high school graduation, his parents on either side of him and his diploma in hand. 

“Sweetie? Are you ready to go?” His mother’s voice interrupted his thoughts about how happy the three of them looked. 

Ace nodded and followed his mom out of the library. They were quiet until they were in her car, with Ace’s mom expertly navigating the route. 

“About this morning,” She began. For some reason difficult talks always seemed easier to handle in the car. “Your dad and I had a long discussion after you left. He just wants what’s best for you. You know he’s very sensitive after what happened with-” 

“I know, I know.” Ace cut her off. “It’s just, I know what’s best for me right now.” Talking to his mom felt good, normal. She understood. For a second, he considered telling her about the hacking charge. But then she would tell his dad and the unstable relationship that they had would be completely ruined. 

“I know you do. And I think you should be allowed to decide your path right now. But your dad, you know he likes to push.” 

Ace nodded. It was what had made him such a good police officer. He never closed cases until they had all the information, never gave up on cold cases even years later, and encouraged everyone working under him to do the same. 

“Maybe you could just apply somewhere? Or take one class at the community college?” 

Ace was about to shoot down the suggestion immediately, but hesitated when he saw the pleading look she was giving him. They’d been through a lot as a family, and through it all she’d always been their rock. She was small-both Ace and his father towered over her height wise-but she was strong and sturdy. Ace could do this for her. “Okay.” He agreed, making a mental note to research if colleges took criminal history into account during the admission process. 

“Thank you, sweetie. It’ll mean a lot to your dad.” She reached over and smoothed Ace’s hair, the way she had been doing since he was a kid. 

Ace wanted to change the subject before he agreed to another promise he wasn’t sure if he could keep. “So you met Nancy?” Talking about his love life wasn’t much better, but it was the best way to distract his mom.

“She’s such a dear.” There it was again, the pet name. “She’s definitely very smart and pretty, just how you described.” 

“You didn’t tell her I said that, did you?” Ace asked, alarm bells starting to ring in his head. 

“Of course not.” Ace could tell she was lying, but decided to let it go. 

“Good.” Ace was quiet, but something about his mom always made him want to open up. “She needs space for right now. Maybe in a little while…” Ace trailed off. 

His mom nodded. “That’s very respectful of you, sweetie. But just know I like her. And I know your dad does too.” 

Ace sank back in his seat and smiled, thinking about how Nancy already had the family stamp of approval.


End file.
